The effect of reduced teams on the Giro

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Anyone know when was the last tine a GT was won by a GC man in a sprinter-centric team?

It didn't come off in the end, but Dumoulin came pretty close at the 2015 Vuelta with a team designed for Degenkolb.

I'd completely forgotten Degenkolb even did the 2015 Vuelta... :lol:

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Anyone know when was the last tine a GT was won by a GC man in a sprinter-centric team?

It didn't come off in the end, but Dumoulin came pretty close at the 2015 Vuelta with a team designed for Degenkolb.

I'd completely forgotten Degenkolb even did the 2015 Vuelta... :lol:

Remember the teams moment of ecstacy when Degenkolb won the final stage.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I think it’s more common for the most successful sprinter in a GT to be on a GC focused team than it is for the GC winner to be on a sprint focused team.

 

[Brullnux]

Wiggins and Cav, 2012.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re:

Wiggins and Cav, 2012.

Cav was treated like a C sprinter at Sky, they only helped him on the last 2 stages he won, and that is only after Wiggins wanted to work for Cav when neither DS wanted to and just take it easy om the stages.

 

[Flamin]

After the Tour: 9 men teams definitely need to return imo.

- Sky as strong as ever. No difference at all.
- GC is most important so teams will just more likely choose a domestique over a sprinter (Ewan) or stage hunter.
- Break aways at an all-time low in the first week. Not saying it's a clear consequence of reduced teams, but it sure doesn't help. Less riders means less tendency to 'waste' energy in a (doomed) break.
- Sprinters going out early. One dom less to help them.

What do you guys think?

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

After the Tour: 9 men teams definitely need to return imo.

- Sky as strong as ever. No difference at all.
- GC is most important so teams will just more likely choose a domestique over a sprinter (Ewan) or stage hunter.
- Break aways at an all-time low in the first week. Not saying it's a clear consequence of reduced teams, but it sure doesn't help. Less riders means less tendency to 'waste' energy in a (doomed) break.
- Sprinters going out early. One dom less to help them.

What do you guys think?

I think we are at a point where people just claim everything is due to reduced team sizes. Personally I didn't have the feeling it had an effect on anything. Movistar decided to have a team with 3 leaders despite 8 men team and with Lotto NL a team with one of the strongest sprinters also had two gc leaders. The whole Ewan story that you used as an example was an effect of what people expected from 8 men teams not what really were the consequences of the new rule. Sky was pretty much as dominant as last year but last year sky was riding without their best domestique pretty much from the first mountain stage onwards.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

As for the GC is concerned, honestly I don't think it matters. 9 man teams, 8 man teams, 2 man teams, the strongest rider wins. I do however think that smaller teamsizes do help the breakaway.

 

[Billie]

Re:

Anyone know when was the last tine a GT was won by a GC man in a sprinter-centric team?

Savoldelli's first Giro win his team was completely build around Quaranta. Quaranta would get dropped on every bridge and everyone but il Falco would wait for him

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=8916
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=8926
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=8920

 

[SHAD0W93]

Re:

As for the GC is concerned, honestly I don't think it matters. 9 man teams, 8 man teams, 2 man teams, the strongest rider wins. I do however think that smaller teamsizes do help the breakaway.

I feel like we would have a lot more breakaway success in GTs though. Towards the end of the race smaller teams should help the breakaway. I feel like LLS, Casar, Voeckler, Fedrigo, and Chavenel would have won a lot more stages with 8 man teams though.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Anyone know when was the last tine a GT was won by a GC man in a sprinter-centric team?

It didn't come off in the end, but Dumoulin came pretty close at the 2015 Vuelta with a team designed for Degenkolb.

Not just a sprinter centric team, but a team where the sprinter was the best climbing dometique

 

[Red Rick]

I still think it matters, but it's clouded by the fact that leading GC team has been insanely strong in both races.

If anything I would guess it leads to more teams sending all climbers to one race, etc.

 

[RedheadDane]

I know this has probably been discussed a million times and then some, but what impact do you people think it would make if they added one (or two) more wild card teams?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

I know this has probably been discussed a million times and then some, but what impact do you people think it would make if they added one (or two) more wild card teams?

The breaks would be slightly stronger, it would be a little more chaotic back among the vehicles, there would be a couple more crashes.